Airline ticket agent plays a prank, customer left exhausted at the airport.
As passengers pulled their luggage out to check in for their flights after the Lunar New Year, many were shocked to hear the airline announce that their names were not in the system.
At Da Nang airport on the evening of February 10th, many passengers had to wait around in front of airline representative counters to register for last-minute tickets. In some cases, passengers had successfully paid for their tickets through agents for the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang leg before Tet, but their names were "not in the system" for the return leg.
Holding a ticket code in your hand doesn't guarantee it's genuine.
This is a common problem for many customers when buying tickets through airline ticket agents: even with the complete ticket code in hand, they are still unable to complete the check-in process because the code is fake.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha's family (from Quang Nam province), consisting of three people, had a Vietnam Airlines flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of February 10th (the 6th day of Tet) and encountered a situation where they had paid in full and had the ticket code in hand, but were still unable to check in.
Ms. Ha said that two months before Tet, she booked tickets through an airline ticket agency for her family of three on the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang and Da Nang - return routes, costing nearly 20 million VND.
Ms. Ha stated that she had paid the full amount to the agent, and to be more cautious, she called the Vietnam Airlines hotline to confirm that the ticket was genuine.
 |
Customers stranded at Da Nang airport on the evening of February 10th after being scammed by airline ticket agents. |
The check-in process for the flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang went smoothly, but on the return flight on the evening of February 10th, a problem occurred: all three members of Ms. Ha's family were not listed in the Vietnam Airlines system, even though their names were still displayed on the airline's website using their booking code.
"The airline refused check-in because the name wasn't in their system and claimed the travel agency had already processed the refund, so when checking the information, the passenger's name was completely missing from this flight. Whether or not you can buy a ticket for the Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City flight depends on last-minute booking. However, the airline representative at the airport said the situation is very tense, with some passengers waiting from morning until evening without getting last-minute tickets," Ms. Ha said.
Reportedly, at the Vietnam Airlines ticket counter at Da Nang airport on the evening of February 10th, there was a large crowd of passengers jostling to inquire about registration and waiting to buy last-minute tickets to fly...Most passengers who came to the representative counter were in a situation where they had been "tricked" by airline ticket agents at the beginning of the year, receiving ticket codes that were only for reserved seats, with no payment yet made to the airline.
Many people waited so long that they had to use trolleys, resting their chins on their suitcases, hoping for a "lucky" last-minute ticket to fly. Some waited from morning until night without a ticket, while flights after Tet (Lunar New Year) are always fully booked.
Double-check your ticket information before going to the airport.
A representative from Vietnam Airlines at Da Nang airport stated that February 10th marks the beginning of the peak passenger season for travel from central provinces to the South.Due to the post-Tet holiday work schedule, air travel at Da Nang airport is quite congested.
According to this source, many passengers arrived at the airport early in the morning but were unable to check in because they bought tickets from fraudulent agencies. These small, unscrupulous agencies cause customers distress when they arrive at the airport only to find they cannot fly. Recently, especially during the Lunar New Year period, these agencies have become even more sophisticated, setting up websites and companies to sell airline tickets and gain customer trust.
"After stealing customers' money, these 'fake' travel agencies abandon their phone numbers and websites, cutting off all communication, leaving customers stranded when they arrive at the airport only to find they can't fly," this person said.
Mr. Thang, an airline ticket agent in Ho Chi Minh City, said that some small agencies take advantage of the feature allowing payment for airline tickets within 24 hours of booking to create "fake" booking codes to send to customers, and then fail to pay the airline.
More sophisticatedly, many individuals still process payments and issue tickets to customers, but then refund or cancel the tickets to receive a full refund of the ticket price while only incurring a small fee.
"Passengers should purchase tickets on the official website, through authorized agents or ticket offices, and request an invoice to ensure they don't buy fake tickets or be overcharged..." - a representative from Vietnam Airlines advised.
The high demand for air travel back to Ho Chi Minh City for work after the Lunar New Year holiday has caused airports to be overcrowded.
According to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, February 10th was the peak day for passenger travel returning to Ho Chi Minh City after the Tet holiday, with approximately 890 takeoffs and landings at the airport.
